Wooden Boat People
By McKenzieDriftBoat.com
Dorf's Wooden Drift Boat
I just found this Forum the past week and was pleased to see all the interesting discussions. I have previously (2006) built and launched a 16 ft. Peterborough Stripper from Tom Moore's original Canoecraft. The Bear Mountain Boats Forum was a wealth of information, as I had not built anything from wood that was expected to float, in water. The stripper was a lot of fun to build.
About a year later I discovered/purchased Roger Fletcher's book and decided to make a go of it and build a drift boat. Last April I laid out all the framing on poster board full scale. I am a retired Mfg. Engineer with 41 yrs in the Machine tool and Automotive Industry with lots of hrs. Hanging over a drafting table. After making the decision to build I spent many hours deciding materials, features etc.
I have 210 BF of White Ash from a couple of trees infected with the Emerald Ash Bore (big issue in Mid-Mich). So the framing is Ash (3/4" x 3.00"). I finished the last one in December. I just need to coat them with epoxy (been waiting for 60 degree temps). The frames are constructed using Half-lap joints. I discussed this in 2011 with Jim Watson of Gougeon Brothers and he offered their services in testing the joint strength (they have a MTS Tensile Test Machine w/ 100K Load Cell). I just received the results and test pieces a couple of weeks ago and will post them soon in this discussion. (I need to figure out how to post pictures here.)
The Stem blank is solid Ash. I just finished the transom a couple of weeks ago. It was made from African mahogany. The sides are going to be 1/4 x 7/8" WRC w/bead & cove. I have a couple of planks left over from the canoe. The sides will be encapsulated in 6 oz. glass and West System 105-207 Epoxy prior to being fastened to the frame. The bottom of the boat will be "cold molded" ash at 1/4 x 2 1/4" in two layers one oriented Fore Aft and the other 90 degrees to the first. Planning to add graphite to epoxy on the bottom.
Next work is to build a strong back and begin assembling the framing. Am looking foreword to your comments and assistance.
Thanks for being here.
phil w. (Dorf)
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Phillip Westendorf on
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Not really. I ended up using two wire harnesses to have enough wire. I used a J configuration rather a Y configuration, and ran a white wire From tongue down right side, across back and up to yellow. Marker on left side.
It took two days to do it all.
Had to sharpen hole saw twice. A pain.
Dorf
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Just to add a little clarity to what I did to run the wires in the frame. I used a 1 1/8" dia Hole Saw. Drilled two in-line holes at three locations, the Y where the wires went to the side frame member (see pic below) from the tongue, and at the rear (facing forward) on both sides. I used 3/4" Elec. Box Plug (Home Depot) to close the outside hole at the Y. The mtg. Brackets for the Roller Mtg. Pads will cover up the rear outer holes. They are not yet added.
The inner hole at the Y location required a smaller diameter hole (3/4" dia) to make the angle due to the 45 degree angle of the brace tube. I drilled 1/2" dia holes at the side marker light locations (four) and the two rear tail/stop lights to exit the wires to the lights.
Note: because of continuous problems with trailer lights usually caused by bad grounding I added a white no. 16 wire from the front of the trailer to each light fixture. The harness I purchased only had a 12" white wire with an eye to screw it to the trailer frame up front and would require each fixture to have it's white wire screwed to the frame locally. Too many opportunities for rust to create problems. All wire connections were soldered and covered with shrink tubing & 3M-33 Elec. Tape.
At each location where the lighting wires passed through a drilled hole I added a 5/8" OD plastic tube about 12" long to protect them from scraping and cutting through the wires insulation. See pic:
Also at the rear of the trailer where the wires went around a corner the 5/8" tubing a was added. Longer pieces were used because the wires will be exposed to the heat of welding (a series of tack welds to minimum heat) mounting plates for the roller assembly. The tail/stop light wires were exited in front of the rear tube and enclosed in the corrugated split tubing and weaseled into the 1/2" exit hole and sealed with some silicone goop.
This was a two day job, 6-8 hrs per day, but in the end was a lot easier than adding external tubing to enclose the wires as discussed earlier in this post. Was a little surprised as they worked when I plugged it into my truck. It was a pleasant surprise! All the lights are LED's and I am hoping they will be less maintenance over the years. All that's left is welding the roller mtg. pads and mounting the License Plate (after It's purchased) and were ready to go!
Hope this helps for someone's benefit.
Dorf
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Well I finally got back to working on the Boat. It felt good, except the sanding to fair the bottom's inside surface.
Today we had temps in the 80's so I did some epoxy work on the bottom and hull. I added a layer of 6 oz. cloth to the inside bottom surface and managed two additional coats of epoxy to fill the weave and build up the inside bottom. In a couple of days after the epoxy is cured well enough I'll fasten it to the hull/frame.
I was on a roll so I cleaned up the hull sides and added a final coat of epoxy to both sides and transom.
Here's a couple of pics of the bottom and hull after the third coat of epoxy.
More to come.
Dorf
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Managed to get the bottom located and secured to the frame with a few Temporary screws so I can fit the edge to the sides. Made it down one side and across the transom. Will permanently attach it to the frame as soom as I have both sides fitted. Should be sometime next week, weather permitting.
Here's a few pics as she sits now.
Here's a close-up of the laminated Ash bottom's edge.
As soon as the bottom is secured to the frame/sides, I plan to add two layers of 6 oz. glass with graphite added to the last few coats of epoxy.
Starting to see some result and feeling better about this thing floating.
GO HAWKS!
Dorf
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Permalink Reply by Guy Fredrickson on
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Phil,
That's really looking good. Great job!
Guy
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Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on
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Dorf, looking great. I've been away from the web helping to build a treehouse in Central Washington. Whole different world up in the trees.
Rick Newman
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Rick,
I don't mean to be disrespectful, but aren't you a little old to be climbing and playing in trees? Must be a kid at heart! Glad to hear your back.
Rick & Guy, Thanks for the support and kind words. There's plenty of time & work to do to screw it up. Keep your fingers crossed.
Dorf
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Never too old to have fun. These are not your father's treehouses. See the photos at the attached link; http://www.nelsontreehousesupply.com/portfolio.html
I will send you some photo's. We are working on the platform and attached shed. My friend and I will probably build a log house on the platform.
Rick
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Rick,
Holy Cow! Some tree houses, not just for kids. eh. The're sweet!
Dorf
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Bout time for an update on what's been going on.
I managed to trim the bottom ( two layers of 1/4" ash) to the sides. It's secured temporarily to the frame with a half-dozen SS. Wood Screws. I used one of those universal vibrating tools with a wood blade. I started with a 1 3/8" Ryobi Wood blade but it didn't last five minutes. I bought two "Hardwood" Blades from Harbor Freight and they worked fine. Used both, one each side so as not to burn the wood.
Here's a pic of the action.
After the edges of the bottom were cut , they were sanded flush with the sides and ready for finishing. The metal plate I used to protect the sides is a wood scraper. Also sanded the bottom Fair so it's ready now to permanently secure it to the framing. I'll be doing that next week using West's Six10 Thickened
Epoxy.Also started working on the oars. I glued up three a couple of months ago. Here's a pic, as the first is now.
Started by hand planing the shaft. It's not easy with Ash. I made 3-4 templates with 1 3/4" diameter to maintain the diameter. The blades were done with a draw knife, sharp chisels, a carbide cutter on w Foredom Rotary Power Tool and lots of sanding. Still lots of wood to remove.
Today I had to remove the boat from the strong back to invert it to fit it to the trailer. Were going to display it and my Cedar Stripper at the Tall Ship Festival nearby in Bay City. A small wooden boat display is being set-up as part of the festival. The boat sits too far forward on the trailer and I'll have to make adjustments after we get it back from the Festival. Otherwise it looks good sitting there.
More to come,
Dorf
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Been a while since I had time to spend on the DB. Finally this past week I managed to get back to it. I removed the S.S. Woodscrews used to temporary hold the bottom in place and replaced them with wood dowels with West's G-5 Epoxy & filler. I had to drill out two of the screws with a hollow drill (from woodcraft). It wasn't as easy as you'd think, bout an hour per screw.
The screws/technique was the same type as I used to secure the Chine Logs earlier in this post. It took about 40 of those suckers to get the bottom tight to the frames. I used West's Six-10, having clamped the fore half and lifted the Aft bottom panel to get the goop onto the frames. After re-screwing the Fore half I did the same for the Aft end.
It took a little thickened epoxy to fill the few gaps around the bottom to make it a solid joint completing the bottom to the frame assembly. I suppose I could of used 3M's 5200, but I've heard too many people not liking it for "down the road" repairs. With epoxy I can saw, grind and sand the stuff to remove and repair things like Outer Chine Logs.
So Labor Day I spent it in the garage adding the first layer of F/Glass and three coats of Epoxy. Is soon as it's ready to sand I'll be adding a second coat of F/Glass. i had hoped to have had completed this a couple of months ago, so it wont make it in the water this fall, bummer. Here's a couple of pics as it is now.
Glass positioned and ready for the Epoxy.
Epoxy applied to Forward half of bottom. Roller used to apply and distribute epoxy on cloth.
Third coat applied. Grey spots on right side are filler epoxy I had to add to fill in low spots, cracks and voids in wood bottom. There were three -four places where this was used.
More to come,
Dorf
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Dorf,
It's very good to see your update!
Guy
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